Friday, October 31, 2008

Yesterday was Lil's last day of preschool before Halloween... Which of course means one thing. PARTY TIME! They were to wear their costumes to class and bring candy for the parade. So as class time approacheth I start instructing her to get dressed. Sure enough she comes back into the room totally decked out in her costume. She is Ariel (Little Mermaid) this year. She walks up to me with a concerned look on her face and said, "Momma, do my mermaid boobies look okay?"

So here I sit on the couch with my kids. Them in their jammies, me in my santa pants (don't worry- I am not anticipating Christmas yet- they are just warm and red- which matches the shirt I slept in...)

Anyway- back to the story!

I am sitting on my couch. Lilia is watching Peter Pan: Return to Neverland. She is munching on Coco Puffs and squealing anytime she sees her favorite character (Tinkerbell). Lacey is sitting right next to me, mouth full, half eaten slice of bread in one hand, half eaten fun size Snickers bar in the other... I jokingly look at her and say "AH!" and open my mouth for a bite. She looks at me, smiles her chocolate drool smile, looks at her hands and in a moment of decision holds the bread out for me to eat.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

And I came across this blog. I am really enjoying what this mother has to say, and her kids ARE SO NOT UGLY! Well anyway- I must admit I didn't really look at the header for her blog until I read back to the 15th of this month where she explained where that header came from! And I was not only laughing at all the insight she gave, but I was also remembering a few months back when Lilia drew an almost identical picture of OUR family! So here is MY family's version, as drawn by my (then) 3 year old...

Monday, October 27, 2008

I am forwarding this on to all of you frennies of mine! I thought anyone in this neck of the woods (that has Smiths as an available shopping place) might appreciate getting a years supply (or more) of soap for free! So- HERE is a specific blog post for you all to go read...

I already have a seven year supply of soap (long story), so I won't be taking advantage of this one, but I figure YOU may want to!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Anyone else suffer from mood swings? And it's not related to any monthly visitor, or late in life change, or a growing THANG inside your belly? I mean- just a mood swing. One second you are fine, doing great- happy, smiley, lovin' life... And the next thing you know it feels like the rug was just pulled out from under you?

Yeah- just had me one of those. Hate that!

So how should I go about getting myself back into a happy mood... hmm...

Oh! I got it!

You know something is truly funny when Joe goes running for the camera in a fit of giggles (hmmm... giggles sounds awfully girly- how about a multitude of chuckles... Yeah- better)

What, you may ask, was so funny? Well...

THIS!

Yes- that would be Spaghetti... She sat there and finished it all. Yup- that's my girl! Talk about cutting out the middle man!

Unfortunately, the mood is still a bit low. But I am sure I'll be fine.

Found me a new recipe for an unbelievably easy yet sticky dessert that is killer sweet and rich... Anyone in my ward, that is going to the activity on Tuesday will get to try them :D

For those of you not in the area, I will post the recipe after the activity is over and the suspense is gone...

(I tell ya- I will do anything to get a lot of the women in the ward to this activity! Come on ladies! It'll be fun! And if nothing else, a few hours away from all our youngsters!)

Sorry about the mood. I am not sure how to fix it, but the swings are getting further and further apart. So eventually I hope they disappear altogether...

Here's to a happy week, and some major cute blogs next week showcasing the kiddo's in their mega cute (or awesome, or scary, or __insert adjective here___) costumes!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Lilia is back at preschool and feels just fine. Her case of croup was much more mild than Laceys.

Joe got himself a new pair of glasses... they will be ready next week, and AFTER insurance, they cost 200. (OUCH!)

The dog wasn't sick from eating something after all. It was much worse than that and may end up with a surgery if it doesn't heal on its own (trust me you REALLY don't want to know all the details here).

Our awesome and wonderful neighbor stayed with the girls on Sunday while Joe and I gave our talks. After that, I came home while Joe stayed for the rest of church.

The talks were a HUGE success! I was really nervous about it, but I keep hearing from people in the ward that loved them, and/or needed to hear them. :D

Brother Hooper has hinted that we need to talk in Stake Conference. I maybe calling in sick that day...

I tried another new recipe today- Oatmeal Pancakes... not bad. Interesting texture, but they were FABULOUS with my homemade peach jam! (The batter had cinnamon in it, so it was a spicy kinda taste...)

Lacey is officially giving kisses. Not just open mouth on cheek kisses. REAL kisses! And I LOVE it!

Lilia has started adding diversification to her prayers. Last night she said, "Please bless Heavenly Father and Jesus to be safe and good..." so cute! She also prayed to not run in church and to have something to do when she wakes up. (At bedtime she always asks what we are going to do when we wake up. Last night I responded with, "I don't know.")

Joe is loving his new job. It is amazing what a little appreciation will do for ya! They have made it very clear how much he is appreciated!

Oh, and it looks like all the decorating is gonna need to be redone! The wind has been hefty up here, and all the spiderwebs are being blown to pieces!

And Joe- in case you are reading this... My mom is coming over right now to pick me and the girls up for a day with grandma. :D Meaning Joe will be meeting us up at Mom's after work for dinner then we will head home. (Love you Joe!)

Hope all is well with you!

LOOK! I wanna be like Uncle James! (Lacey's pants were sagging a bit, and it looked intentional, so of course I took a picture!)

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Oh my goodness! I can't even begin to describe the smile this award brought to my face! It was given to me by a fellow blogger I truly admire. I love reading her posts, and I am so excited to see the changes she is making for her blog. Now this award is called "The Proximidade Award"

Now the only itty bitty tiny glitch I am seeing here is that it is a Spanish award, and I don't speak Spanish! BUT- Laural sent along with it an English translation...

*I originally thought it was in Portuguese, but I did some research and found the original award in spanish...

To translate it means:"This blog invests and believes, the proximity." Meaning, that blogging makes us 'close'- being close through proxy. How awesome is that??

This comes along with the instructions that also seem to be roughly translated to English...

"They all are charmed with the blogs, where in the majority of its aims are to show the marvels and to do friendship; there are persons who are not interested when we give them a prize, and then they help to cut these bows; do we want that they are cut, or that they propagate?"

Then let's try to give more attention to them! So with this prize we must deliver it to 8 bloggers that in turn must make the same thing and put this text.

I am gonna attempt to add some more definition to this translation...

I translated this through a few different FREE translation sites, and when combined, this is basically what I came up with in English:We all love blogs where the majority of posts target the marvels of friendship. These are people who are not as interested in the awards they are given as the friendships they are creating. Because of that this award may stop. But do we want this award to stop or to keep spreading? Then let’s try to give more attention to those bloggers! We must pass this award to 8 bloggers that in turn must do the same and post this text with it!

(Anyone is free to correct my translation if they actually speak Spanish and understand better what I didn't...)

So- the winners of this award, as decided by the most impartial and awesome judge (me) in no particular order:

Ju at Hamlie's Happenings - Okay, maybe this one is in it's proper place. She is my very best friend, and she is awesome like that.Morgan W at Whipple Troupe - She is such a sweet person, so are her children! Her blogs are filled with joy, love, and all sorts of cuteness!Aimee at What the Hall?! - She is so sweet, and exceptionally nice. She spends all her free time playing with her adorable baby girl, and being the best mom and friend she can be. Such a great person, and so deserving of this award...Triscuit at Crazy Good. She is funny, and nice, and a great listener, and she is so good at so many things. She has a beautiful family, she cherishes her friends, and she lets them know it! Erin from right HERE - She was one of my truest friends from my working days, and she found me again! I am glad she did too, because she is a great friend who has had her fair share of hardships, yet she pulls through them with flying colors and a remarkable sense of humor! Heidi at her PRIVATE blog - Sorry folks, if you don't know her, you won't get much chance, but lemme tell ya- she is one of the nicest people I know, and she has the most adorable twins on the face of this planet! AnnaMarie at HER blog - she will do anything for her friends. INCLUDING packing her whole family up and driving to a neighboring state just for a Christmas party. Sariah from Sariah Says - She is the glue that holds a group of online women together! She is amazing, and thoughtful, and caring, and giving. She may not be perfect, but she is pretty close!Kristin at The Walters Family blog - she may be gullible, but she is such a sweet and wonderful person, and she is one of the truest friends I know. She has a very infectious laugh and a smile that matches her bright personality and soul!

What!? That was 9? Well what's one more... I never was good at counting! ;) I can't help it! All 9 deserve it!

Monday, October 20, 2008

So I have decided to do something a bit more fun than usual. I am not a huge Halloween buff, in fact, if it weren't for the kids I would never even buy candy for it. I just don't like it much. BUT- the kiddos are getting older, and Lil is starting to form lasting memories, so I am trying my hardest to have good holiday memories for her to remember. So- I actually DECORATED the porch for Halloween. It wasn't much, but I think it looks good (though it looks MUCH cooler at night- a lot more creepy..).

So without further ado...

So really all I did was add corn stalks and pumpkins. The rest is my typical house... (kidding! The fake spider webs are also an addition- as opposed to the real ones...)

Lilia helped me with this. She cut the pieces of spider web for me, as well as arranged and re-arranged all the pumpkins multiple times.

I am thinking I may add a homemade scarecrow on the swing and maybe a black light for the porch... we'll see.

It seems I am finally getting over a 24 hour bug of some sort. I was completely laid up last night from about 5 o'clock on. Kudo's to Joe for making an AWESOME steak dinner!

Well- today, I woke up still feeling pretty crummy, so I laid myself down on the couch, grabbed myself a blanket and wrapped up. I warned Joe ahead of time that the kids were corralled in the front room (Okay- Lacey was corralled, Lil was free to roam), and that I was NOT getting up unless I absolutely had to (since it hurt to be vertical).

I WAS smart enough to bring my laptop, TV remote, and camera to the couch with me... So- Lacey woke up at 6:30 again today (hard to sleep in when you can't breathe). She and I were awake and alone for about 2 hours since Lil slept in, and Joe left at 6:45 or so. And THIS is what Lacey did while I was immobile and in pain...

First on the agenda: Put on a shoe. Just one. Right over the jammies...

Next: Stand on top of the computer and play with the mouse for Dad's laptop...

Third: Turn and show mom that you found a hidden binky, and smile to myself since mom can't come get me down and steal the pacifier...

Then: Find a random piece of paper...

And write mom a get well soon card...

Finally deliver the card to mom! (I was still on the couch for this shot- She was sitting behind the couch, in the kitchen)

Soon after, Lil woke up. She decided my Rachel Ray show wasn't exciting enough for me to watch, so she decided to put a movie on for me (read: her). This is how it went down:

Step one: Remove Lacey's Baby Beethoven DVD from this morning.

Step two: Take the cup of grapes back from thieving sister. And put them out of her reach...

8 things that happened yesterday1. Went to church2. Gave a talk at church3. Got high praise for that talk by the Stake Pres.4. Came home after the 1st hour of church to watch my sick kiddo's5. Played and sang and giggled with my girls6. Decorated my porch7. Proofed the cookbook I am working on8. Spent the whole evening immobile and in pain on the couch

8 things to look forward to1. Lil's next dance class (she is so cute!)2. Naptime3. Halloween 4. THANKSGIVING!5. Christmas6. My Anniversary7. Lacey talking8. Winter clothes...8 things I love about fall1. Sweaters2. Petracore (the smell the pavement gives off during and right after it rains)3. THANKSGIVING!!4. Holiday Shopping5. The smell of Apples (pies, cider, cake, crisps... doesn't matter- it all smells good)6. The colors7. Cool temps with very little snow8. The smell the heater gives off when you turn it on the first time8 things on my wishlist1. Run a half marathon2. One more baby3. Creating and KEEPING certain habits4. Become debt free5. See Europe6. Live to see and play with my grandchildren7. Retire young with financial security8. Clear my name in the neighborhood... find out what has been said about me and have people approach me about the truthfulness of it. I want to clear the air.

8 people I am tagging1. You. 2. And You.3. And You.4. And Her.5. Him too.6. And Her.7. Oh, and definitely Her... 8. And anyone else who wants to as well, consider yourself tagged!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Today I am thankful for many things... (For an upbeat post ONLY read the bold)

I am thankful for my Humidifier for keeping the kids room nice and muggy last night. I am thankful for the Cool night air that helped Lacey breath between midnight and 1:30 this morning when the humidifier wasn't enough. I am also thankful for the baby monitor for letting me hear how labored Lacey's breathing was all night long. I am thankful for my steamy hot bathroom this morning when both the humidifier AND the cool night air failed to relieve Lacey's breathing. I am thankful for the wonderful dinner we had last night that somehow managed to find it's way into the dog's belly thus making her sick all over my carpets, bedding, and couch. I am thankful for warm winter boots that kept my feet warm while cuddling with my sick baby but also managed to alert us to all the dog sickness in the house... I am thankful for my vast knowledge of croup, so I knew what I was dealing with (that one is a legitimate thing to be thankful for). I am also extremely thankful for our 4 year old who woke up at 2 and climbed into bed with Mom and Dad night before last, stepping on Dad's glasses on the nightstand in the process and breaking them in two. Oh, and I am also thankful for UEA weekend creating a day off of preschool since Lil woke up this morning sounding just as sick as her little sister. I am thankful for health insurance for making it possible to get my kids the needed steroids to make it through the next few nights without Mom going nuts. I am thankful for eye doctors in the neighboring city that take Joe's insurance and can get him new (most likely expensive) glasses. I am grateful for the nearest grocery store for providing me with a rug doctor to clean up my couch, and carpets after the dogs midnight. And most importantly- today I am grateful for my ward bishopric for asking us to speak in church on Sunday a mere hour or two before all this chaos ensued. Of course we said yes! Our topics? Family and blessings...

Monday, October 13, 2008

As I was putting Lilia to bed, I was struck by just how awesome she is. Now, I KNOW, I am her mom. I HAVE to think she is awesome, but she really is! She is smart, and funny, and cute, and has a personality to light up the darkest room. She could sell ice cubes to Eskimos!

There I sat with my oldest child. The girl I remember so well as a baby...

The girl who, I swear, was JUST learning to talk, and sang along with Elmo's world...

Here is this totally awesome child, who I taught to feed herself, and brush her teeth...

The child who I held all night when she was hurt and crying... AND SHE IS READING ME A BOOK! SHE IS 4! And READING to me! And showing me all the things she is learning. She has insight, and wisdom, and her little brain is picking up more and more information every MINUTE! She. Is. Amazing.

And I love her so very much. Much more than I ever dreamed was possible...

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Okay- if you don't have Facebook "Pieces of Flare" you can stop reading this and move on...

For those of you who googled "Flare not showing up" or some common variation of it, here is your solution. (I get a TON of hits from people looking for answers to this question- so I figured I might as well make it worth their while!)

AFTER YOU HAVE ADDED THE FLAIR YOU WANT TO YOUR "CORK BOARD" There is a little RED BUTTON just above the line-up of flairs. It says SAVE CHANGES. Click it.

THEN a button just to the right of that shows up. It is navy blue, and it says UPDATE PROFILE. Click it.

TA DA! It will now show up on your profile! YAY! Woot Woot! Life is goooooood...

Now- stop reading this and playing on Facebook and get back to work! ;)

So for those of you who check here but don't catch me on Facebook or Myspace, we have a new phone number. Just changed to Digis. It is saving us upwards of 50 dollars a month on our phone bill. Send me a message if you want the new #. I am always up for a cleaning buddy (you know, someone to chat with while I do unpleasant cleaning tasks... like um... all of them)!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Oh how I love being tagged! It makes my day! They like me! They REALLY LIKE ME!

This one comes courtesy of a favorite blogger of mine. Mamasphere! Here ya go, folks!

Four jobs I’ve had:*shelf stocker/cashier at family owned thrift shop*server/cashier/hostess at Fresh Choice (soup/salad bar/pizza/muffins... yum!)*teller/"specialist" for local bank*mommy :)

Four movies I can watch over and over:*Kung Fu Panda (so much funnier than I thought it would be!)*First Wives Club (for me, it's less about women empowerment and more about the music and actresses)*Lucky Seven (Mamasphere, this one is a romantic comedy that takes place around a wedding... may wanna check it out!)*Maverick (It just makes me laugh! That and Mel Gibson is such a hottie!)

Four places I’ve lived:*With my parents (before Joe)*With my Aunt and Uncle (during the dating of Joe- what a nightmare it was living there!)*With my Father in Law (first two weeks after marrying Joe)*With Joe (the last 7 years and then some...)

Four TV shows I love:*The Biggest Loser*House*Ugly Betty*Heroes(That's just for this season- ask again in 6 months or so...)

Four places I’ve vacationed:*Alaska- cruises are awesome!*Canada- one of the stops on the above mentioned cruise*Mexico- different cruise, not as awesome as the above mentioned one*Disneyland- not a cruise, just a fun place I have been to 6 times so far...

Four of my favorite dishes:*Butterscotch Yams (or sweet potatoes- MY FAVORITE part of Thanksgiving... No marshmallows, just lots of sweet yummy goodness, and the sauce tastes great on the turkey too.. Pester me if you want the recipe, you won't be sorry!)*Oatmeal bread (toasted or fresh from the oven with homemade jam... it counts cause I could totally eat this as a meal!)*Cheesy Cauliflower and potatoes (or any other veggies you want)*Musaka (Joe learned to make this when he lived in Bulgaria. I love making it for him)

Four sites I visit daily:*Facebook (more often than I probably should)*Google Reader (I would DIE without it!)*Myspace (not so much anymore)*Google Analytics (I am such a stats FREAK)

Four places I would rather be right now:*On another cruise*Clothes shopping*In bed (as opposed to the couch- where I currently reside)*Apple Hill (Oh how I wish I could find an equivalent here! I SO miss Apple Hill! Anyone in my neck of the woods know of an apple orchard that has a craft fair in October where I can get apple stuff such as cider and pies and the likes WHILE browsing craft tents and such? It's like mixing a farmers market and a boutique...)

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Friday, October 3, 2008

Lil said two things that had me laughing today- just thought I would share...

1. Lil was mad at me for not letting her eat a cheese stick (string cheese) before dinner. She took her complaints to Dad, who said, "Lil- knock it off!" So Lil came back to me with a plastic golf club and said, "Mom! I am gonna knock you off!" (If I turn up dead in the night, ya'll know who to blame!)

2. Lil got sad when I packed up to leave for my workout at the gym. She kept threatening to cry, so I promised her I would be back to help tuck her in for bed. This seemed to satisfy her, and I went on my way. After returning from an exceptionally GRUELING work out, with barely a minute to spare before Lil's bedtime, I went to read to Lil and she said, "Momma, I think you need to shower cause I can smell your stink. You should go shower. Daddy will read to me, huh Daddy?" Who couldn't respond cause he was laughing too hard...

Lil started preschool again, which is GREAT! She is reading pretty well these days! About a week ago her preschool went on a field trip to pick apples from an orchard... Okay so it was two apple trees in the teachers parents yard. But well- they still had fun! And I went along with Lacey.

Lil picking up ripe apples from the ground...

One of her teachers helping one of the boys get an apple from the tree

Lacey being her typical cute self while playing in the yard.

Lil, some of her classmates, and her other teacher getting ready to dip the apples in caramel

Of course there are also the random pictures I have taken this month...

Lacey pretending she is Daddy...

Lil was trying her hand at photography...

And what I found this morning when I walked into the front room...

I have no idea how she managed to get her hands on this banana, nor do I know how she then managed to peel off a single strip of the peel... but she did!

Lil has recently learned to sing I Am A Child Of God (A pretty popular and well known song in my church). The lyrics to the first verse of this song are...

I am a child of God,And he has sent me here.Has given me an earthly home,With parents kind and dear.

Lil's version:

I am a child of God,And she has sent me here.Has given me a lot of time,And parents kind of dear.

Love her!

I have been working out 3 times a week lately, and don't get home from the gym until after Lacey is in bed. Well, the last few times I have gone in to check on her when I get home, she is still awake. And as soon as she sees me she takes her pacifier (only allowed at bedtime), rips it out of her mouth, throws it down and puts her arms up for me to pick her up. :) Man, it's nice to be loved!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Not sure what happened, really. It just sorta happened. Yeah- that's my story.

One day I am just plain ol' me, and the next thing I know I am sewing, and cooking, and baking, and canning, and all kinds of other crafty projects!

I have been making bread lately. But not just any bread. WHEAT bread. WITH HOME GROUND WHEAT. Yeah- I have a wheat grinder. Betcha didn't know that. Well I do. And I am using it! I love me some good bread recipes, and I have found that I am also not too bad at actually making bread with my hands! (As in *GASP* NO breadmaker OR Bosch/Kitchen Aid!)

Also, I am in the middle of making Lacey a twin sized blanket. Similar to the one I made for Lil, similar color scheme, but different, too! Lil's is pink, green, and beige. Laceys is pink, teal, and green. Both have the same backing. Pastel pink and yellow flannel. The girls should be able to share a bedroom for years to come, and yet not have the same exact blankets and bedding... The blanket is still in the cutting stage, not yet starting to sew, but it is coming right along!

The other day I ran across a pair of pants that belong to Lacey that had formed a home in the knee. So what did I do? I cut off the legs and added a skirt! All without a pattern! AND- it turned out pretty cute, if I say so myself!

To top it off, as you may have noticed (or read in my last blog) I have taken up canning (or should I say bottling)! This is new territory for me. I mean, my mom made and bottled salsa a few times growing up, and I helped, a little. But this was all me- well me and a few friends...

And now Halloween is approaching, and I find myself wondering if I should attempt to sew a few costumes, or go to the store and buy some costumes... I mean, if I sew the girls their costumes, I can use thicker fabrics to keep them warm (not that they are gonna need it this year). I can also choose the exact fabrics I want. Lil wants to be a mermaid. I could make her a mermaid costume, and make Lacey a fish or something... BUT- if I buy them, I am limited on exactly what the costume will look like, and the quality will most likely be lacking since I can't afford super nice (read: expensive) costumes... And so what am I gonna do?

The whole fam

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About Me

Nothing special here, except the over use of emoticons :S and ellipses...I have two adorable girls, and one handsome little boy. I really like our family. Not just our kids, but the whole darn family. Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents... you name 'em, I like 'em.